Luxury phone maker launches handset with crystal touchscreen

The phone, called Constellation, will retail for €4,400
(Dh22,389) for the entry level model. The hand-built phone
will come with a host of high-end bespoke applications.

Milan: Luxury phone maker Vertu unveiled its first touchscreen mobile at an event in Milan, Italy, on Tuesday.

The phone, called Constellation, will retail for €4,400 (Dh22,389) for the entry level model and go up to €10,900.

In the UAE, the Constellation will retail for a little over Dh20,000 for the entry level model.

The smartphone is powered by Symbian, an operating system developed but now being phased out by Nokia. The UK-headquartered Vertu is owned by Nokia.

Besides being one of the cheapest Vertu phones, the hand-built Constellation will come with a host of high-end bespoke applications which president Perry Oosting hopes will take the brand to "a whole new level".

"I'm very happy with how we are transforming as a brand and as a company," Oosting told Gulf News at the launch. "We started the journey of the luxury services that come with our phones, and now they are actually coming alive with the touchscreen and larger screen. I'm happy about the maturity of the product and I think people are quite happy also."

Concierge service

Purchase of a Vertu phone gives users access to what the company calls a concierge service through which they receive assistance, priority bookings to events and assistance around the world. With the new touchscreen phone comes new apps with services including one for personal security and access to exclusive clubs through your phone. All apps will be available in a variety of languages including Arabic.

"The Middle East has always been an important market for us — it was a quick adopter to our products when we launched. It's not our biggest market, but an important market and very true and loyal to our brand," added Oosting.

Each Constellation handset is handmade in the UK. The 3.5-inch touchscreen is made of sapphire crystal while the back plate comes in a number of different leathers.